Pele scandal rocks African soccer

The African soccer world has been rocked by news reports that former Ghana football star and South Africa 2010 Ambassador Abedi Pele, was involved in match-fixing.

Reports about the alleged match-fixing surfaced after Pele’s team, FC Nania, beat Okwahu United 31-0 last month in a league game.

Pele, together with former Bafana Bafana stalwarts Mark Fish and Lucas Radebe and Cameroon legend Roger Milla, were ambassadors for South Africa when they were bidding for the 2010 World Cup.

At the monthly host city forum meeting at Safa house, the SA 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan, advised on the LOC’s stance regarding the allegations.

"We (Saloc) have sent a letter to the Ghana Football Association enquiring about this incident regarding Abedi," Jordaan said.

"It is a matter for the Ghana Football Association to investigate as it happened there. We will wait for a response from them before we can take any action."

Jordaan stressed that the allegations of the kind surrounding Pele right now will not be tolerated by the LOC.

"We will not condone such actions by anyone involved with the LOC or by ambassadors for the 2010 World Cup. However, before we make any decisions we need factual information from the Ghana FA.

"I have spoken to Abedi but I won’t say much of what he told me, we can only make our decision once the tribunal is held in Ghana," he stressed.

Pele is a three-time African Footballer of the Year and in March 2004, the legendary Pele of Brazil, named his African namesake in his list of 125 greatest living footballers.

Sapa